Automatic forging apparatus.



A. W. MORRIS.

AUTOMATIC FORGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.8,1916- v Patented May 22, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESS A TTORNE YS.

A. W. MORRIS.

AUTOMATIC FORGING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8.1916.

Patented May 22, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTQR. fizz/ 220702222 B Y M.

A TTORNE YS.

'into contact with the metal. The improved ALBERT W. MORRIS, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC FORGIN G API'ARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 22, 1917.

Application filed January 8, 1916. Serial No. 70,944.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT W. MORRIS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Forging Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus particularly adapted for carrying out the metal forging method disclosed in my copendingapplication Serial No. 124,526, filed October 9, 1916. The invention has certain features of construction, however, which relate to the forging or casting of metal broadly as will appear from. the description and claims.

In general, in making forgings by the method pointed opt in my copending application, liquid metal is placed in a mold, having the shape of the desired exterior surface of the forging and, at a certain desired temperature, a ram or die usually having the shape of the desired interior surface of the forging, is brought sharply and forcibly characteristics of forgings obtained by this method depend-upon striking the metal at the desired temperature and the range of temperature within which the striking may take place to secure the improved results with reference to my improved method referred to is relatively small.

The determination of the proper time to strike the metal in the mold is thus of the highest importance. It may be left to the operators' judgment, and undoubtedly an experienced man can, by theappearance of the metal, determine within. approximate limits the right time. Considerable 'experience and good judgment, however, are necessary since the change in appearance of the metal which indicates the proper time. to strike the metal may not be a marked change and readily detected, especially under certain conditions of illumination. Moreover, the constant attention of a highly skilled operator is essential to the success of the product. It is, therefore, desirable to remove the factor of personal judgment 1n determining the proper time for performing the critical step in the method.

It is also desirable that the liquid metal in the die be skimmed just before the forging blow is struck thus to prevent the rea ram to strike the metal, and means oper-' able automatically at the desired temperature of the metal when reached on falling temperature to cause the actuation of said ram.

Another object of the invention is to provide means automatically operable at a tem perature slightly above the freezing temperature'to skim the metal in the mold of dross and the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an improved forging apparatus, involving a mold to receive the liquid metal and a power operated striking ram, mechanism whereby the die is arranged at one side of the ram for convenient filling and inspection, and means automatically operable as the desired temperature of the metal is reached to position the die beneath the ram and cause the subsequent actuation of the latter.

A further object of the invention is to provide in forging .apparatus, involving a mold to receive the liquid metal and a ram arranged to strike the latter, mechanism. whereby the die is normally disposed at a distance from the ram in a position convenient for filling and inspection, and means automatically operable as the desired temperature is reachedto position the die beneath the ram, then to actuate the latter and subsequently to eject the forging from Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view of the skimmerg...

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation'of the clutch for connecting the various mechanisms to suitable driving devices;

' direction of the arrows; 101

2 vertically slidable on the ways.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4 and looking in the Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a detail of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatical view showing a means for controlling the clutch, and thus the various mechanisms by the temperature of the metal in the mold.

The invention is concerned primarily simply with an automatic means whereby themetal may be struck at the desifed temperature and, secondarily, with means automati cally operable when the desired temperature is reached to effect a certain chain of operations, vi'z., to skim the metal in the die; to

position the latter beneath the ram; to strike the metal with the ram; to eject the forging from the die and subsequently to return the latter to filling position. The invention will be described withreference to a single embodiment so that those skilled in the art may obtain an understanding of one operable means, whereby the desired chain of operations may be caused to take place at the proper time. It is to be understood that the embodiment of the invention shown in. the drawings is illustrative only of a preferred form and is not necessarily intended as a disclosure of the only desired form of structure calculated for practical use..

Referring to the drawings in detail and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus in general is somewhat similar to a punchpress having-a main frame A formed with spaced parallel ways 1. (Fig. 2) and a head Secured to the sliding head 2 is a male die member or ram 3 which is formed in the desired interior shape of the forging to be produced. Links 4 and 5 pivotally connected to the head 2 and frame A, respectively, are con;-

nected together and to an eccentnc strapv 6 at 7 as best shown in Fig. 1. These links are arranged in toggle fashion and' an eccen-v tric 8 fixed to shaft 9 is adapted to straighten" out the toggle and forcibly depress ram 3 at the proper time as will later appear.

Below the ram and extending laterally from a position thereinunder to a position entirely out of the path thereof-are spaced parallel ways 12 formed in tile frame A (Fig. 2). Horizontally and slidably mounted on ways 12 is a carriage 13 which supports a female die member or mold 14, the interior contour of which is in the desired exterior shape of the forging to be produced. Pivotally connected to the under side of carriage 13 by means of the pin and slot shown in Fig. 1 is a forked lever 15 which is pivotally mounted at 16 in frame -A. A second lever 17-pivotally mounted in frame A at 18 is connected to lever 15 by a link 19 and rotatably supports at its upper end. a roll 20. The latter is adapted to roll in a cam path 21 formed in one face of the disk 22, fixed to shaft 23, whereby the carpivoted to frame A at 29 has on one arm a roll 30 in engagement with a cam path 31 formed in the other face of disk 22. The other arm is arranged to directly underlie the ejector pin 26when carriage 13. is moved into position beneath ram 3 and to forcibly elevate'the pin- 26 at the proper time to eject the forging from mold 14 as willflater appear.

On each side ofcarriage 13 is a rod35 vertically movable in brackets secured to frame A against springs 36 (Fig.2). On

the lower end of rods 35 are suitable rolls which engage cam wings 37 fixed to the carriage 13. Secured to and spanning rods 35 is a frame 38 and centrally supported therein and insulated therefrom as shown in Fig. 1 is a pyrometer 39, which may be of any Suitable type' but for the. present purposes may? be considered as a thermo-couple. The pyrometer is normally supported so that its lower extremity dips into the metal in mold 14, as shown, and its downward movement is limited by the engagement of frame 38 with the lower brackets'fo-r rods 35. When, however, the carriage 13 is moved into position beneath ram 3, the cam wings 37 (the outline of which is best seenv in Fig. 1) raise rods 35 in an obvious manner and thus lift the pyrom'eter from the mold 14 and-hold it it is subsequently lowered again into the mold.

Mounted in a bracket secured to frame A 1s a rod 42 which is vertically slidable against a light sprmg 43 and is restrained I lifted until the return of the carriage when I in its downward movement by the engage ment' of a collar 44 with the upper face of the bracket (Figs. 1 and 3). Pivoted to rod 42 and depending therefrom is a skimmer 45 which may be of any desired shape to ef-v fectually skim the-dross from the surface of the metal in mold 14. Preferably the-- lower end of member 45 is hook shaped and substantially semi-circular, as shown in Fig.

i 3. The'skimmer 45 is pivoted to swing in a counterclockwise but not in a clockwise direction by reason of the engagement of a lug 46 with the forked .end of rod 42, as clearly shown in 3. Normally the skimmer rests on the upper face of mold n'ier 45 has been shown and described merelyfor the purpose of illustrating one operable means of accomplishing the desired function. The skimmer may be mounted in any other suitable mannerand any othersuitable means may be provided which will efi'ectually skim the metal prior to its entrance under the ram.

The actuating shafts 9 and 23 bearing the devices already described are driven from an intermediate shaft by the gears shown in Fig. 2. Looselymounted on one end of shaft 50 (Figs. 2 and 5) is a driving pulley 51 which is integral with or fixed to a serrated clutch element 52. -,Adjacent the lat ter and keyed to shaft 50 is a member53 (Figs. 4 and 5) which has a plurality of pins 54 adapted tobe.forced into engagement with element 52 by springs 55. The

pins 54 have inturned lugs 56 engageable by cams 57 (Fig. 6) formed on a ring 58 which is rotatably mounted within disk 53.

Pivotally mounted in the latter at 60 is a bell crank 61 (Fig. 4) one arm of which has a pin and slot connection with ring 58 and the other is adapted normally to rest on a latch 62 pivoted to frame A at 63. Connected to latch 62 is a plunger64 which is" normally forced outward by a spring65, so

that latch 62 is held in abutment with a pin 66 on frame A, and is movable within-a solenoid 67. The latter, when actuated by means to be described, will withdraw latch .62 and permit lever 61 to be moved by a spring 68, so that cams: 57 are withdrawn from lugs 56 to permit pins 54 to connect disks 5 2- and 53. Thus, the eccentric 8 and disk 22 may be actuated to effect the various operations. It is essential that this chain of operations be not repeated until more metal has been placed in mold 14 and brought to the proper temperature,.so that shaft 50 as well asshafts 9 and 23 are arranged to make one complete revolution andthen come to rest. To effect this result, a stationary cam element 70 secured to frame A is arranged to engage a projection 71 on lever 61 where- 87 (thus to needle 76).

by the latter will be thrown out to the posi tion shown in Fig. 4 to withdraw pins 54 and-whereby its outer arm will be forced to engage latch 62 to hold the pins 54 in retracted position.

The means whereby the desired chain of operations may be effected by the release of the latch 62 will now be described with particular reference to Fig. 7. The pyrometer 39, as above mentioned, may be considered for the present purposes as a thermo-couple whereby the heat from metal in mold 14 will generate a small electromotive force which increases as the temperature increases in a-manner generally well understood. 7 5 represents a milli-voltm'eter and 76 the needle thereof which is movable over a scale 77 calibrated to indicate temperatures. The

pyrometer 39 is electrically connected to voltmeter 75 by wires 78 and 79 as shown, whereby the needle 76 will be moved to the position shown by the heat from the metal in mold 14.- As the temperature of the metal falls and immediately prior to the critical temperature,-needle 76 brushes past a contact 80 fixed in the casing of voltmeter 75 and suitably insulated therefrom. A wire 81-connects this contact to a relay 82 and the latter is connected through a source of low electromotive force 83 by a wire 84 to a contact 85. A pivoted switch arm 86 is normally in engagement with the latter and is connected by a wire 87 to the casing and thus the needle 76 of voltmeter 75. Thus, a circuit is closed to instantaneously energize relay 82 and the latter closes a circuit through a source of relatively .high electromotive force 88 and through wires 89 and 90 to solenoid 67 whereby the latch 62 a is withdrawn.

To prevent a subsequent release of latch 62 when the needle 76 again brushes by contact 80, a contact 91 is arranged to be brushed by the needle at some temperature below the critical point. A circuit isthus closed through a source of relatively low electromotiveforce 92 through wire 93" to a solenoid 94 and thence by'a wire 95 to wire The solenoid 94 acts to lift a pivoted latch 96 which. normallyholds members 85 and 86 in contact, and allows the latterto be withdrawn from the former by a spring97. .Thus, as the ,needle again brushes by contact 80 on rising temperature, no circuit will be closed to energ1ze solenoid 67.

'To reset switch 86 so that needle .76 will again close a circuit to energize solenoid 67 as it engages the contact 80 on falling temperature, a third contact 98, similar tothose already described, is provided at a point above the critical temperature which would normally be reached by the needle 76 since the metal is poured into mold 14 at a higher temperature than the critical'temperature as already described. 7' The engagement of needle 76 and contact 98 closes a circuit through a source of relatively low electromotive force 99 through wire 100 to a solenoid 101 and thence by a wire 102 to wire 87 a (and thus needle 76). Solenoid 101 thus is actuated to close switch 86 and the latter is subsequently held by latch 96 in an obvious manner. Thus, as the needle 6 drops back and brushes contact 80, the above described operations will be repeated. The contacts -80, 91, and 98 are preferably arranged to be adjusted along the scale 77 in a wellknown manner.

In operation, as the metal in mold 1 1 I reaches'the criticahtemperature on falling I temperature, the disk 22 and eccentric 8 are given one complete revolution as described.

The eccentric 8 and cam paths 21and 31 are so arranged relatively to one another that in the first quarter of a revolution thecarriage'13 is positioned in under the ram 3, and ram 3 partially descends; in the second "quarter, the descent of ram 3 is completed while carriage 13 remains stationary; in the third quarter, ram 3 partially ascends and subsequently the ejector 26 is actuated while quently to eject the finished forging. It is recognized that the invention may be prac-' tised with means other than the specific form herein described solely for illustrative purposes, and the scope of the invention is defined bythe appended claims'rather than by the foregoing description of one illustrative embodiment.

WhatI claimis r 1. A forging apparatus, comprising, in

- combination, amold to receive, liquid metal to be forged, a ram, and'means automatically operable when the metal is at a predeterminedtemperature to actuate the ram to strike the metal in the mold.

2. A forgirfg apparatus, comprising, in combination, a mold to receive liquid metal to be forged, a ram adapted to be forced into said mold, and means automatically operable when the metal in the mold reaches a" predetermined temperature on fallingtemperature to force the ram into said mold.

3. A forging apparatus, comprising, in combination, a mold to receive liquid metal to be'forged, a ram adapted tobe forced into said mold, means automatically operable when' the metal reaches a predetermined temperature to actuate said ram to strike the metal in the mold, and a device to skim the dross from the metal in the mold automatically operable shortly before the metal is struck by said ram.

4:. A forging apparatus, comprising, in combination, a depressible ram, a mold to receive liquid metal to be forged arranged normally out of the path of said ram, devices to position the mold in the path of said ram, mechanism to depress the latter to strike the metal in the mold, and means automatically operable when the metal in the mold reaches a predetermined temperature,

. on. falling temperature, to actuate said devices and mechanism.

5. A forging apparatus, comprising, in combination, a depressible ram, a mold to receive liquid metal to be forged arranged normally out of the path of said ram, devices to position the mold in the path of the ram, mechanism to depress the latter to strike the metal in the mold, a skimmer arranged to remove the dross from .the metal in the mold, and means automatically operable when the metal reaches a predetermined temperature on falling temperature to actuate said devices, mechanism, andskimmer;

6. A. forging apparatus, comprising, in combination, a depressible ram, a mold to receive liquid metal to be forged arranged normally out of the path of said ram, askimmer adapted :to remove the dross from the metal in said mold, devices to position the latter in the path of the ram, mechanism to depress theram to strike the metal in the mold, a plunger to ejecttheforging from the mold, and means automatically operable when the metal in the mold reaches a predetermined temperature on. falling temperature to cause the actuation of said skimmer, devices, mechanism, and plunger in the sequence named. 7. A forging apparatus, comprising, in combination, a depressible ram,a mold to receive liquid metal to be forged arranged -normally out of the path ofjrz-the ram, de-

vices to position the mold'beneath the ram, devices to depress and subsequently raise the mold, devices to eject the forging from the mold after thestriking operation, devices to remove the mold'from the path of the ram .and means automatically operabl'e when the metal on falling temperature reaches a predetermined temperature to actuate the several devices in sequence.

8. A forging apparatus, comprising, in

combination, a mold to'receive liquid metal to be forged, a depressible die arranged to strike the metal in the mold, a pyrometer normally in the mold, and means automatically operable from the pyrometer when the metal in the mold. reachesfa predetermined temperature to Withdraw the pyrometer and depress the die.

the latter to effect a striking'of the metal in .9. A.forging'apparatus, comprising, in

combination, a mold to receive liquid metal I to be forged, a die adapted to be depressed -means operable by the movement of said support to withdraw the the mold;

1.0. A forging apparatus, comprising, in combination, amold to receive liquid metal, a depressible ram adapted to strikethe latter in the mold, a movable-support for the pyrometer from I mold arranged normally to hold the latter out of the path. of the ram, a pyrometer in the mold, a skimmer adjacent the mold, means automatically set in operationby the action of the pyrometer when the metal on falling temperature reaches a predetermined temperature to move the support to position the mold beneath the ram and subsequently to depress the latter into the mold, means operable, by the movement of said support t9 dip the skimmer into the-mold and subsequently raise the same to remove the dross from the metal and other means operable by movement of the support to withdraw the pyrometer from the mold.

11. A forging apparatus, comprising, a depressible ram, a mold to receive liquid metal to' be forged arranged normally out' of the path of said ram, a pyrometer in said mold, devices to move the mold beneath said I ram, devices to depress the latter, devices ton eject the forging from the mold, driving means to actuate said devices in the sequence named, a clutch to control said drivingmeans, electrical means controlled by the pyrometer when the metal on falling temperature reaches a predetermined temperav ture tp move the clutch to actuate the driving means, and devices operable as the mold is moved to position beneath the ram to withdraw the pyrometer.

12. A forging apparatus, comprising, in combination, a depressible die,-a mold toreceive liquid metal to be forged, a movable support for the mold arranged to normally position the latter out of the path of the.

die, a movable pyrometer normally in en-' gagement with the metal in the mold, an.

ejector to expel the forging from the mold, devices. to position the mold, withdraw the pyrometer, depress the die, and move the ejector, in the order named and subsequently to return the said elements to their original positions, all of said devices being. driven by a single clutch normally disengagedtherefrom and electrical means controlled by the pyrometer when the metal on falling temperature reaches a predetermined temperature to engage the clutch with the driving means, said clutch arranged automatically to stop when the several elements have completed a cycle of operations.

13. A forging apparatus, comprising, in

combination, a lower die member adapted to support heated metal, an upper die member, mechanism operable to force one- 9f .said die members toward the other, whf by said metal may take the impression ofi -the die parts, and automatic means to time-the operation of said mechanism to close the dies on the metal at the desired temperature "of the latter.

14. A forging apparatus, comprising, in combination, a lower die member adapted to-hold liquid metal, an upper die member, mechanism to force one of said die members toward the other with a gradually decreasing speed and an increasing force, whereby any-unrelaxed forging blow may be applied to the metal.

. 15. A forging apparatus, comprising, in combination, a lower die member adapted to hold liquidmetal, an upper die member, toggle mechanism to force one of said die members toward the other with a gradually decreasing speed and an increasing force whereby an unrelaxed forging blow may be applied to the metal.

16. A forging. apparatus, comprising, in combination, a lower die member adapted to hold liquid metal, an upper die member,

.'mechanism to force one of said die members toward the other with a'gradually decreasingspeed and an increasing force and automatic means to control the operation of the mechanism in accordance with the temperature of the metal, whereby an unrelaxed forging blow may be applied to the metal.

ALBERT w. MORRIS. 

